If relative density of sand is greater than 70%, then the expected method of failure to be considered for estimating bearing capacity of a shallow foundation is
- Alocal shear
- Bgeneral shearCorrect
- Cpunching shear
- DInterpolate
Solution
Concept
Failure mode vs relative density
Step-by-step solution
1. Dense sand (Dr > 70%) fails in general shear; loose sand (Dr < 20%) in punching; medium in local shear.
Explanation
Dense soils fail suddenly with a well-defined surface.
Why the other options are wrong
Local and punching shear occur in looser soils.
Shortcut
Dense → general shear.
Correct answer: B) general shear